It’s pretty rare to see classic VW camper vans on the road – and you almost never see them as beautiful as this one.
Everyone, meet Edith, a 1976 Volkswagen T2 Camper. She’s orange, she’s cosy, she drives beautifully, and she’s ready to whisk you off on a blissful British weekend.
Edith has been lovingly and carefully restored by Happier Campers over in Oldham, where you can also rent her camper van pals Beryl, Bert and Ernie.
And while she’s small, she’s certainly mighty.
Inside, and included when you rent her out, you’ll find an expertly-fitted kitchen (complete with gas hob, sink and fridge, plus all your equipment), a comfy fold-out double bed plus another in the roof space, an on-board water supply, USB charging points, Bluetooth speakers, outdoor furniture and loads more.
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The attention to detail that’s gone into her restoration is remarkable. See that metal pole acting as a vase for some orange flowers? It’s actually a table leg, which you can screw into different parts of the van so you always have an extra surface.
That backwards-facing seat? Yeah, it’s also a kitchen cupboard.
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The rechargeable lantern? Also a Bluetooth speaker.
Sometimes the easiest way to switch off from your real life is to strip it right back – no WiFi, no screens, no takeaway drivers in sight – and Edith has just the right amount of creature comforts to allow you to do that in comfort.
Camper van Edith comes with outdoor furniture in your rental. Credit: The Manc GroupInside Edith, the classic VW camper van you can rent from Oldham. Credit: The Manc GroupBacon butty and champagne breakfast outside Edith. Credit: The Manc Group
Edith – who recently starred in Blossoms’ music video for What Can I Say After I Say I’m Sorry – turns heads everywhere she goes with her sunny orange exterior, and ended up being the talk of the campsite when we took her away to the Peak District for a weekend.
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A couple of days with Edith goes a bit like this…
You collect her from Happier Campers and have an induction into how everything works, from the gearbox to the pop-up rooftop.
Then it’s off to your chosen campsite to get all set up, cracking open a cold beer from the fridge or popping the kettle on as soon as you park up.
As night falls, switch on the fairy lights, cook yourself dinner, and get cosy either with a book or whatever films you’ve remembered to download, before unfolding the double bed and tucking in for the night.
Now let me tell you, the joy of sliding open your bedroom door to see a vista of mist creeping over rolling hills and sheep pottering about is unparalleled.
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The Pack Horse in Hayfield. Credit: The Manc GroupDinner at the Pack Horse in Hayfield. Credit: The Manc GroupKinder Reservoir in the Peak District. Credit: The Manc GroupCosy paradise inside Edith. Credit: The Manc GroupCosy paradise inside Edith. Credit: The Manc Group
And it only gets better when you start frying up some bacon and having a glass of champagne (don’t judge me) with that same view.
From the Hayfield Campsite, you’re perfectly positioned for a stroll up Kinder Scout or, if you want something gentler but equally as beautiful, around Kinder Reservoir.
The entire Peak District is on your doorstep – there are plenty of walks and routes plotted out by the team at the campsite so you don’t even need to plan far ahead, and there’s a pub just up the hill where you can reward yourself with a pint at the end.
Also on the doorstep is one of the UK’s best gastropubs, The Pack Horse, where you’re welcomed into a proper country pub space with a brilliant, seasonal menu and a resident dog (Lola will stare you out if she catches a whiff of cheese on your table).
The whole camping experience – even having to go for a walk to the toilet block every time you need a wee – feels completely magical, and makes you realise that you don’t have to travel a million miles to feel a million miles from Manchester.
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Views from Edith as you sail through the Peak District. Credit: The Manc GroupHappier Campers in Oldham. Credit: The Manc GroupDriving the classic VW camper van. Credit: The Manc Group
She has quirks, as all classic vehicles do, like a gearbox that will only go from first to second if you ask it very nicely, windscreen wipers that are even totally off or enthusiastically on, and a side door that insists on being slammed full-force, fellow sleeping campers be damned.
But all of that adds to her charm, and the longer you spend getting to know Edith the more this little van rewards you.
And one of the best bits about a weekend with Edith is the unbridled freedom she brings. Imagine just getting bored of driving so pulling up by a reservoir for a cup of tea and an episode of Netflix?
Or opening your bedroom door in the morning to see an ever-changing landscape of countryside?
This right here is retro, British holiday heaven.
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Find out more about how to rent camper van Edith or any of the other Happier Campers vans HERE.
‘This isn’t just like home, this IS home’: Saffa Soul is feeding communities straight from the heart
Danny Jones
That quote isn’t one of ours, nor is it from the owners themselves: that’s what a South African native had to say as they literally welled up eating the food being served by Saffa Soul, who have officially been named among the Best Street Food in Britain.
And now they’ve taken up a new residency right here in Greater Manchester – Circle Square in the city centre, to be specific.
Keshal Devchand, a.k.a. ‘Huggy’, is the man behind the brand, bringing those tears to people’s eyes not just here in town but up and down the UK, as they found out not so long ago during the annual British Street Food Awards (BSFA) last year.
Winning the 2025 title, the reigning champions are simply meeting demand by posting up with their latest semi-permanent space, as an incredible rise in popularity has only ramped up since taking the crown. How they’ll fare remains to be seen, but as always, “the food speaks for itself.”
To be honest, we have every faith they’re going to be just as big a hit as the new resident kitchen inside The Taphouse as they were on Temperance Street and as their various street food stalls up and down the nation since this incredible journey started just 19 months ago.
Yep, this unbelievably hearty, authentic and award-winning foodie phenomenon isn’t even two years old yet, but the Johannesburg-born concept is already on course to write itself into cultural and culinary annals if they carry on the way they’re going.
Not only is everything from the braai (barbeque) meats, to the rich and smoky curries, that famous bunny chow, homemade sauces and everything in between unbelievably flavourful, this stuff is steeped in not just tradition but pure hard work.
‘Huggy’ and co. refuse to do anything that isn’t the real ‘saffa’ way, and it’s these simple but faithfully sustained principles that have seen this food connect with literally tens of thousands all over.
And that’s not just in this country: these guys have already journeyed through the likes of city-centric face-offs, and regional BSFA showdowns, to heading to Germany for the continental equivalent, where they also notched ‘Future Food Legend’.
It’s not hard to see why they’re officially the ‘People’s Choice’ and already mean so much to so many.
From importing wood from his homeland and stoking the fires by hand with a bellow, to keeping his mum’s yellow lentil recipe alive and sharing those same childhood memories with Manc, Brits and, indeed, the rest of the world, Huggy is doing proper boots on the ground community work.
Our favourite story from our recent visit was Huggy telling us about how their appearance at the 2025 European Street Awards turned into so much of a big deal that the entire South African consulate in Munich shut down early so they could eat his food for lunch. Just WOW.
And that’s not just for those who hail from South Africa and have since emigrated; as seen by his various pop-ups since starting out, Saffa Soul is a real come-one, come-all affair.
This is proven even more to be the case by his upcoming plans, too, as not only is the team looking to start their own regular Sunday roast club with inspiration from Supper, but they’re even going to be doing ‘beer cooler’ events in the summer.
Picture South African tradition, part US cook-out, with a sprinkling of Aussie and classic British BBQ parties – it’s one of the things we’re most excited about this year.
We’ve also had a little glimpse at other menu items soon set to be introduced into the rotation, and all we can say is that we’re already salivating.
Honestly, we implore you to go and show Huggy’s gang some love, and we promise you won’t leave a single scrap on your table.
We’ve found some of the best Chinese food in town – being served out of a snooker hall
Danny Jones
Yes, you heard us right: we’ve stumbled across one of our favourite new places for Chinese food just on the outskirts of Manchester city centre – it just so happens to be served out of a best-in-class snooker hall.
And that really is just the tip of the iceberg here.
Some of you may have heard about and/or seen it already, but we’ll admit we were a little late to the party when it comes to Club 200, a.k.a. the pool, snooker, darts, mahjong club and more, which has so many different things rolled into that it’s really more a Russian doll than a Chinese restaurant or sports venue.
The hook speaks for itself: a place where people spend just as much time practising with chopsticks as they do their cues, as it really isn’t a gimmick, as some pessimistic folk would have you think – the food is banging and so are the vibes in general.
Not only is this quite literally the best snooker club in Manchester – complete with everything from classic American billiards and Chinese 8-ball to king-size snooker tables that the Ronnie O’Sullivan has played and won on, to a special AI system you won’t find anywhere else – it is SO much more than that.
Whilst the backroom was packed with everyone from casuals to those looking to get their pro certification via the official Q Tour, and lads in the front were practising their arrows, as co-owner Simon admitted they get almost just as many darts regulars these days, a storm was cooking up in the kitchen.
It would be unfair to say this place doubles as a bar and restaurant, because we really couldn’t get over how well put together this menu was.
‘Café 200’s food offerings involve classics like fried rice and chow mein dishes, to the kind of sides you could expect from your local Chinese chippy, but it’s even more authentic exports that really impress.
For instance, the beef ho fun seemed to be a big hit with everyone; we loved the salty seafood udon as well (a great chew on those noodles), and we know plenty of people still searching for proper Hong Kong-style French toast – they might just find it here.
Speaking of the special administrative region, which has a twisting and turning but nevertheless rich culinary culture all of its own, that last dish had us hopping with joy.
You’re looking at baked Portuguese rice: a Macau speciality rooted in the region’s colonial history.
We’ve never quite had anything like it before, even in all of our years eating this kind of cuisine around the 10 boroughs, but we haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
And then there’s everything else they do, from karaoke and bingo nights to catering for birthdays and other functions, or even just serving as a cool, somewhat tucked-away spot to watch the footy and other live sport come the weekend.
You can tell this place has built up a real community over the last 18 months or so, and while the food speaks for itself, it’s the sheer abundance and variety going on that makes it especially charming to so many.
Speaking of jack-of-all-trade venues, we stumbled across a similar multi-talented one over in Salford not so long ago, too…
Daisy Jackson -
26th October 2024 
